Reverse
by Quinn.Windsor
Summary: A reversal of the characters of Tris and Tobias. Read to find out!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Well, this is an idea I just came up with. I don't know how well it'll play out, and it's gonna be really difficult to write. But here's the main idea.  
Basically, the roles of Tris and Tobias are switched. Tris is two years older, and she leaves Abnegation to escape her abusive mother. Tobias transfers because he knows he doesn't belong, and Tris is his instructor in Dauntless. The first chapter is going to be Tris's choosing ceremony. The rest, well, I guess we'll find out.  
Let me know what you think.  
Without further ado, here is the first chapter.

Chapter 1

Tris

I leave the aptitude test room shaking with relief. I didn't expect to get an Abnegation result; I expected at least two of the five factions, if not more. Because I am Divergent. And the only other person who knows about my Divergence is my mother, Elizabeth. The past few years, Elizabeth has been "training" me to receive an Abnegation result. Our training sessions involved a lot of yelling on my mother's part, and a lot of crying on mine.  
But, whether I like it or not, they did help. They helped me hide my Divergence. A Divergent simply means that you are wired for more than one faction. At first, that might seem like it's not a bad thing. And to most people it wouldn't be. You see, if your mind cannot adapt to one way of thinking, you pose a threat to the faction system our city has come to know and love. And in our city, threats are eliminated. Therefore, being Divergent is incredibly dangerous. I don't know how my mother found out that I am Divergent, but I remember when she did as if it were yesterday.

*Flashback*

I am in the kitchen cooking dinner for my mother and I, when I hear the front door slam. That can't be good.  
I continue to prepare supper, like I've done ever since Father passed away, until Elizabeth stomps into the kitchen. I turn to her. "Hello, Mother. How are you?" It kills me that because I am Abnegation, I have to be polite to the person I despise more than anybody. And I know that if I'm not polite, the beatings will get worse. Elizabeth stares at me before sitting down at her place at the table. "I've been better," she states, and doesn't ask me how I'm doing. She never has, and I'm sure she never will. I nod and turn back to my cooking. I fill two plates with a pile of peas, one chicken breast, and mashed potatoes. I put a spoon full of butter on top of Elizabeth's potatoes, but not my own, because it would be self-indulgent. My mother doesn't care if she is self indulgent. And usually, she isn't. Well, the her she shows to our city. The real Elizabeth is a monster. On the other hand, I am punished for the slightest slip from the Abnegation ways. It's usually the belt, but sometimes she just uses fists or feet. Each time she beats me, she tells me the same thing seconds before the first whip. "This is for your own good, Beatrice. I'm just trying to make you better."  
What I don't understand is how beating a lifestyle you yourself can't adapt to, is going to make me better. I wish I could let the world know the real Elizabeth Prior. But if I tried, she would kill me.  
My mother is a leader of our city. She is known as the model for Abnegation; the most selfless and caring of us all. But inside the walls of our house, she becomes a completely different person. A child-abusing, psychotic, sadistic, power-hungry woman. I set her plate in front of her, and sit to her left. She grasps my hand in hers, and I have to restrain my self from flinching. She thanks God for providing us with this wonderfully plain meal, and begins to eat. "How was your day?" I ask her, not meeting her eyes. She turns to me and throws her fork across the room. "Enough bullshit, Beatrice. Let's get to the point." Point? What point? "You," she pokes me in the chest, hard. "Are Divergent. And that is a problem."  
How can she possibly know if I'm Divergent? I didn't even know I was Divergent. I have heard myths and stories about the Divergent. How they have special powers, and how they are murdered when they are found out. I decide to play stupid. "What's Divergent?" I ask with fake curiosity, and she replies with a staggering blow to the side of my face, causing me to topple out of my chair. She lifts me up by the scruff of my shirt and hisses at me.  
"Oh, as if you don't know. You are going to be Abnegation; that's all you'll ever be. I'll cure your Divergence." I wake up what must be hours later, and Elizabeth is nowhere to be found. Our plates are left untouched on the table, and I am bruised all over. I groan, and begin to clean up the kitchen.

*End flashback*

And ever since that night, Elizabeth has been "beating the Divergence out of me". According to the aptitude test, it worked. But little does she know she'll never see me again after tomorrow. There's no way I'm staying here, in a faction with her. I have to leave; I need to escape. This is the hard part. Which faction do I choose? In my head, I cross them off one by one. The Erudite are the smart ones. They develop all of the technology our city needs, and are always researching. I find them annoying, acting as if they know everything.  
I couldn't be one of them. I despise the Erudite. I cross them off of my checklist.  
Amity are the peaceful. They farm and grow all of the food for our city, and are generally uplifting and joyous. Although it'd be nice, I know I could never be kind enough for the Amity.  
The Candor are the honest. Our judges, social workers, and juries are made up of the Candor. They stick to the truth, no matter what. And I know I couldn't be a Candor,  
for my whole life has been a lie. I have to hide what happens to me at home every day. That leaves the Dauntless. The Dauntless are the brave, the courageous, the daredevils. They are the military, police officers, and fence guards for our city. I've always admired the Dauntless. Every day, I watch them leap off the trains, landing in somersaults or on their feet, and I long to be one of them. After tomorrow, I will. I hear the door open, and curse under my breath. I prepared supper early, because we were allowed to go home after our test. Elizabeth enters the kitchen. Without warning, she grabs my by the shoulders and slams me against a wall.  
"Your test results?" she growls, and I have to gasp for breath before replying.  
"A-Abnegation" I stutter, and she narrows her eyes at me. "They better be. Now, go upstairs and rest. Tomorrow's an important day."  
I nod meekly, and leave her to eat her supper alone. After I hear her bedroom door close, I make my way downstairs and clean the kitchen. I turn off all the lights in our house before getting ready for bed. And when I drift off to sleep, I dream of the freedom tomorrow will bring. I dream of Elizabeth's face when I slit my hand open, and my blood drips on the Dauntless coals. I dream of a new life. A new me. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I wake up the next morning and shut off my alarm clock. Instead of getting ready like I normally would, I lie in bed for a while, staring at the roof. It is grey, like everything else in Abnegation. Grey, and boring, and lifeless. For some of us, the color grey is a symbol of our selflessness. For others, it is a cloak to hide who we are, for good or bad.  
I am one of those people. The grey of Abnegation protects my Divergence, and it hides who I really am. My mother is also one of those people. Her grey clothing hides the side of her only I know; the abusive, monstrous woman who has the audacity to call herself my mother.  
Outside of our "peaceful" Abnegation home, my mother is a leader in our city. She ultimately makes the decisions, and is respected more than anybody else. She is known as a perfect Abnegation model; selfless and caring.  
Inside these prison-like walls, my mother is a different person. She is abusive. Monstrous. Sadistic. Uncaring. Selfish. Everything a mother shouldn't be. A smile spreads across my face as I think of how my mother will feel when I slit my palm open, and my blood runs on the Dauntless coals. A weight lifts from my shoulders, a weight that I only now realize has been there since Father passed away. After today, I can be free. I can be myself, not who I am forced to be. I take a deep breath and get out of bed. I slip on a grey dress and grey socks, and put my hair up into a bun. I make my way downstairs and begin to cook breakfast for the last time. As I'm buttering toast, my mother walks in. I turn to her. "Good morning, mother," I say. "How did you sleep?" Elizabeth waves a hand. "Fine," she says distractedly, and sits down at the table. I slide a plate in front of her, and take my seat beside her. We say grace together, and I participate for the first time ever. Afterwards, my mother stares at me.  
"Beatrice, are you all right?" she asks, and I nod. "Of course. Just a bit nervous; I thought saying grace would clear my head. And it did." I smile her, and she nods. We eat in silence, until she speaks. "You know what I expect today, don't you?" I meet her eyes, trying not to let my intentions show. I nod meekly.  
"Of course, mother." She nods to herself. "Good," she snaps, and her eyes narrow. "Now, clean this kitchen and go upstairs. I have to cut your hair before the ceremony."  
I nod, and do as I'm told. I make my way upstairs and sit myself in a wooden chair.  
After a few minutes, my mother comes upstairs with a pair of scissors. She walks in front of me and presses a button on the wall, and a panel sides open to reveal the only mirror in our house.  
I study myself as my mother trims my hair. My face has filled out a bit in the three months since my last haircut. I look closer to sixteen years old, instead of eleven or twelve. My eyes are grey, darker than the grey of my faction. To me, they hold more pain than anybody should have to endure, but I don't know if anyone else sees that. My mother sets the scissors down and twists my hair into a bun. She walks a circle around me twice and nods. "That'll do. Sweep up the mess and we'll catch a bus to the Ceremony." I oblige, and within twenty minutes we are on a bus filled mostly with Abnegation, although a couple members from Erudite, Candor and one lone Amity are with us. When the bus arrives at the building we hold the Choosing Ceremony in each year, (A/N: Which building is this? The Hub? I have no clue.) the Abnegation are the last ones off. My mother leads us into the building, and we climb around twenty flights of stairs. I am forced to hold the door for everyone, and so I am the last one into the room.  
I look around. The people who decided to attend the Ceremony are organized by faction, excluding the 16-year-olds that are choosing, who are lined up in reverse alphabetical order to one side of the stage. The chatter ceases abruptly as my mother walks onto the stage. She clears her throat before speaking into the microphone. "Good afternoon," she begins, and a half-hearted greeting is returned. "Today, we are gathered here to celebrate the faction system our city has come to know and love.  
We celebrate every year by letting the sixteen-year-olds of our city choose the faction they please. The world outside our city has been torn apart by war and poverty, as you have seen in your history classes." Some people nod, but most don't move. My mother continues.  
"Our ancestors decided that it was nothing but human nature that had caused this damage to our planet. And so we were divided into five factions. Each faction blamed some different quality that we all shared for the havoc wreaked upon Earth. The ones who blamed aggression were called the Amity, and have come to be known as the most peaceful of us all. Some of us blamed lack of knowledge, and strove to learn in order to prevent future disaster. These are the Erudite. Another portion of the population blamed dishonesty and lies for our troubles. They are the Candor. This leaves two groups, perhaps the most opposite of us all. The first group is the Abnegation, who blame selfishness, the tendency to think only of ourselves before others. The last group, the Dauntless, blame cowardice."  
Elizabeth pauses and surveys the crowd, who is silent. She then turns to the potential members of each faction. "Now you have a choice to make. Choose where you feel you truly belong, where you feel you will fit in. Choose wisely." And she turns and leaves the stage. A cheer erupts from every faction but the Abnegation, who believe cheering is self-indulgent and unnecessary.  
An Erudite makes her way onto the stage with a list of names, and begins to call us one by one, but I don't pay attention. I am too busy making my choice.  
I know I can't be Amity; I'm not peaceful, or kind. I cross them off my list.  
Candor? No. I've been lying to people my whole life about how I got this bruise or that cut; lying comes naturally to me. Abnegation was out from the start. I can't stay here; I don't belong. And I'm a coward.  
That leaves Erudite and Dauntless.  
Would I fit in with the Erudite? I can see myself with a book in my hands, or in a research lab. Becoming a doctor or scientist. But something about the Erudite just feels wrong to me, which could come from my mothers strong hatred of our enemy faction.  
Dauntless is my choice. I've admired the Dauntless since I was a little kid. I always watch with longing and jealousy as they leap off the trains, scale buildings and pick fights with each other in the hallways.  
In Dauntless, I can remake myself. I can throw away my past, and become a new woman. I can change. I can be me.  
My thoughts are interrupted by my name being spoken into the microphone. "Beatrice Prior."  
As soon as my name echoes through the silent room, my hands begin to shake. I'm still afraid of my mother's threats of what will happen if I defect. I know deep down that she can't hurt me anywhere else, though, and I hold my head high as I make my way to the bowls.  
I grab a knife in my hand, and the light shines on it, reflecting into my eyes. I study each bowl carefully.  
The Abnegation bowl, full of grey stones. The Candor bowl, filled with spheres of glass. The Amity, filled with damp earth. The Erudite, water that is already stained red from the previous choices. And the Dauntless, a bowl of raging embers, burning bright with the fires of courage. I don't think before I slit my palm and my blood sizzles on the Dauntless coals. When the sound reaches my ears, I smile, and the Dauntless are roaring, cheering my name, and I'm free.  
Finally. I am free. I make my way over to my new faction, and someone hands me a bandaid before clapping me on the shoulder. The ceremony finishes, and the Dauntless are the first people out of the building. We are whooping, and cheering, and I can't stop smiling as I join in their celebrations.  
I did it. I left. I showed my mother who's really boss. And I'm proud of it. My ambition served me today, better than it ever has before. I reach up and undo my bun,  
letting the wind blow my hair around for the first time, and it's exhilarating. The Dauntless exit the building, and we sprint towards the train tracks. Somehow I manage to keep up with the older members and Dauntless-born initiates, but I stop when the train comes around a corner and members begin jumping on. A girl walks up beside me, staring at the passing cars. I turn to look at her. She is tall, with dark skin and even darker eyes. "We have to get on that?" she asks me,  
and I shrug. "I guess so," I reply, and a voice yells at us. "Yeah, if you fail this, you don't even get a chance at initiation. I strongly suggest you get on." I turn to look at him, and what I see startles me. The man has no tattoos or piercings, nothing that identifies him as a Dauntless except his black clothes. He grasps a handle with ease and swings himself into a car.  
I look at the girl beside me. "Together?" I ask her, and she nods. "Together." We run as fast as we can and make it into the second last car. I slide down the wall, relieved that I made it, and the girl sits down beside me. "I'm Christina," she says, and offers me her hand. I take it awkwardly, and she laughs at me. "My bad. Abnegation. I forgot." I chuckle a little, and I realize I haven't told her my name yet.  
I open my mouth to say "Hi, I'm Beatrice," but something stops me. I realize that after my blood dripped onto the coals, I gave up Beatrice forever. I am no longer the quiet girl from Abnegation, who hides the real her behind a cloak of grey. I am... Tris. I am new. I'm me. I grasp her hand more firmly, and smile at her.  
"I'm Tris," I tell her, and she nods. "Nice to meet you," she says, and I agree. I think Christina is going to be my friend in Dauntless, which is new to me. I've never really had a friend before, but I have one now.  
I'll need one in Dauntless. 


	3. My Apologies

I'm sorry.  
I really am. It's been a while since I updated anything, so I'm posting this on all three of my stories. I've been crazy busy, with Christmas and studying for diplomas and relationship and blah blah blah. I know it's a lame excuse buuuuuuut I'm giving it anyways. I'm having an incredibly hard time writing anything at all lately. Every time I try I just come up blank. I've hit the deepest ditch of my short author's career so far and it's difficult to get out of. Please, please, please give me tips on how to overcome writers block.  
Also, if you have any ideas or you want to see anything happen in my stories, please let me know. I'd gladly use your ideas and give you full credit. Lastly. It'd be such an incredible experience to co-write a story with one of you guys. If anybody is up for writing a story with me, PM me and we can definitely talk about it.  
So, yeah. one of my many New Year's resolutions is to get back on track with my fanfictions. I also have yet another one in the works, a modern day with a bit of a TFioS twist (but it's not exactly the same.) If you want a sneak peak at the first couple chapters, I'll show whoever wants to see.  
Again, I'm so so so so soooooooo sorry for not updating in forever. Please forgive me. 


End file.
